Smarty Pants: Top 9 Upcoming Smartwatches (And How to Find the Right One for You)

Hey, do you have the time?

Smartwatches are taking over the tech world. Like a trusty gadget from a James Bond movie, smartwatches allow you to keep track of apps and messages from your wrist.

Apple and Fitbit are no longer the only manufacturers in the smartwatch game, many other well-known watchmakers are jumping in head first to make contributions.

Finding the right smartwatch for you depends on a few factors. You want it to have all of the features that top-of-the-line smartwatches are known to have, but you also want it to be functional, comfortable, and stylish.

In this article, we’ll look at what factors should go into deciding which smartwatch is the right one for your needs and 9 upcoming smartwatches in 2019 that you can’t miss.

Put your wrist on standby, we’ll need your attention.

What Are Your Needs?

There are features that you’ll need your new smartwatch to have. Looks are some of it, but not everything. Here are the hallmarks of a good smartwatch.

Compatibility With Your OS

The most obvious and crucial factor when purchasing a smartwatch is its compatibility with your mobile device. If it’s not compatible, you can’t access all of the watch’s features seamlessly.

If you have an iPhone, then the best thing for you will be an Apple watch. Some smartwatches work exclusively with Android. Read up on what phones work best with which smartwatches to get an idea of what you should buy.

Calls & Notifications

Some smartwatches will allow you to answer calls using only your watch. Others activate the call features on your cell phone. Do you want to be able to leave your phone in your pocket, or would you rather use it to carry out conversations?

Most watches will notify you of texts, missed calls, and other alerts on the watch screen. But the Apple watch allows you to answer texts, make calls, and change appointments from your wrist.

Apps

Unlike smartphones, smartwatches have limited app availability. Each model will offer different app compatibility, so will probably be one of the most important factors in making your decision.

Most models will have GPS, allowing you to track your steps and other activities. A Fitbit, on the other hand, will have dozens of sports and fitness features. If fitness is important to you, these features will make a huge difference.

Upcoming Smartwatches, 2019

The tech in smartwatches continues to develop with each passing year. These tiny devices are only a few years old, so it’s safe to say that 2019 will be the best year yet for smartwatches. Here are 9 of the best smartwatches this year.

1) Apple Watch 4

The Apple Watch 4 continues to lead the way for smartwatch development. A larger face than in years past makes it easier to use its applications.

As far as the applications go, the 4th Apple Watch has the most compatibility with the app store. Thousands of apps are at your fingertips without having to remove your phone from your pocket.

One of the great features of the Apple Watch is it’s over the top fitness tracking system. This version has a heart monitor that notifies you of any irregularities. The Apple Watch could literally save your life.

2) Samsung Galaxy Watch

The Samsung Galaxy Watch succeeds the Samsung Gear 3. It’s compatible with Android and iOS, so you’re in the clear regardless of what phone you have.

It too possesses a great fitness tracker but generally lags behind the Apple Watch as far as app compatibility. On the plus side, it has one of the best displays and battery life is between 2 and 3 days.

3) FitBit Versa

The cheapest of the big smartwatch brands is the Fitbit Versa. It, as you may have guessed, is geared towards the health and fitness side of things. It doesn’t contain GPS but will stack well with your smartphone to give you all of the fitness tracking information you need.

Fitbit allows you to customize your look a bit more than the others, with loads of band colors to choose from. This and its price tag make it a popular choice.

4) Skagen Falster 2

Stylish people often complain about the bulky look of smartwatches. The good folks at Skagen hear you and have unveiled the Falster 2.

Its looks are undeniable when put beside other smartwatches, but its features do suffer some. It offers integration with Android and iOS but beyond GPS and a heart rate monitor, but can be laggy and only has a day’s worth of battery life.

5) Fossil Q Venture HR

Fossil has produced one of the best looking smartwatches to date with the Venture Q HR. Its watch face looks like something Bond would wear.

It comes with all of the health monitoring features that we’ve come to expect from a good smartwatch, and the NFC chip enables Google Pay.

6) Huawei Watch GT

The Huawei Watch GT offers a whopping 2 weeks of battery life. This is compelling, considering it has its own OS, which makes compatibility with your other devices difficult.

Its screen is as sharp as any of the top smartwatches on the market. The Health App is great but doesn’t work with third-party apps, which is admittedly a knock against it.

7) Ticwatch S

The sporty person on a budget might consider the Ticwatch S. It doesn’t exactly look great outside of the gym, but the Ticwatch offers compatibility with Gear OS, comparing favorably with a Fitbit considering the price.

This watch is great for someone getting into fitness that doesn’t want to break the bank right away.

8) Samsung Gear Sport

“Hey, don’t forget me.” The Samsung Gear Sport might be replaced soon, which means you can get this fitness-centric smartwatch at a bargain price.

A comfortable fit with a Speedo-branded swimming tracker, as well as integration with most of the fitness apps still make this one of the best smartwatches on the market for the gym freak.

9) Garmin Forerunner 645 Music

This isn’t a smartwatch in the sense that we know it today, but that doesn’t make the Garmin Forerunner inferior. It’s actually one of the most impressive sports watches available.

Room for 500 songs, integration with music streaming platforms, and tracking abilities for loads of sports make this a great choice.

Do Your Homework

Choosing from the upcoming smartwatches can be difficult. There are many features, both style and tech-wise, to consider. Get out to your local shops and try a few of them on, play with the features, and make an informed decision.

It’s an expensive toy, but you can make your life way easier with a great smartwatch.